They have reacted angrily to police assurances that escalating problems are being tackled.

In a Chronicle article last week, police listed a series of successful operations which they staged to combat the problem.

But this week Cllr Steve Hope, chairman of the town's Watch Committee, claimed: 'The truth is the police are failing to deal with this public nuisance.

'Reading the front page story in last week's Chronicle, it seems that the police believe the problem caused by a small number of teenage hooligans is under control.

'But from the events of the past few days it is clear that this is far from the truth.

'The police stated last week that there had been a lull in their activities because of the illness of the town's beat bobby. This is unacceptable and is symptomatic of a deeper malaise. If the local constable was ill, where was the back-up?

'People in Nantwich pay for police activities on their council tax bill. And where were the community wardens for whom we also pay?'

Cllr Hope said he hoped the answers would be forthcoming at a series of meetings set up for next few days.

Despite a number of swoops by police, who have made several arrests in the past few weeks, incidents involving teenage gangs are still happening.

Over the past few days a rock was hurled through the window of the home of the Rector of Nantwich, the Rev Peter Chantry, young hooligans burst into a meeting of senior citizens at The Gables in Beam Street, and the town's main bus shelter was vandalised.

There have also been reports of disturbances inside the public library and the town's museum.

Cllr Hope said Nantwich Town Council had an action plan which it hoped would help stamp out the problem.

He added: 'In addition I am personally going to ask the council to press Crewe and Nantwich Borough Council for the installation of more CCTV cameras in the town.'

The Labour chairman of the town council, Joyce Stockton said: 'Nantwich used to have a police inspector and a sergeant based at the police station, but now there is neither, so things are obviously going from bad to worse and this is extremely worrying

'I have the greatest respect for PC Miles Phillips, our town bobby, but he cannot be expected to deal alone with everything that is going on.

'If there were more policemen on the beat I am convinced these things could be nipped in the bud.'

Chief Inspector Robin Crorie, Crewe and Nantwich Police Division operations manager, said arrests had been made for some of the incidents highlighted.

He added: 'Locally, we are doing our best to deal with it. For instance, a short time ago youths disrupted a kung fu class in Nantwich Parish Hall. Next time the class was held we had 10 police officers and a dog on the scene and made two arrests.

'I can assure everyone that all the problems that have been mentioned are being addressed.'